If you are a novice to online auto insurance shopping, you may be confused because of the huge number of online companies offering coverage.
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but a few must be specifically requested prior to getting the savings.
It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck. But any discount will help reduce your overall premium however.
To see a list of insurers with discount car insurance rates, click here to view.
The fastest way that we advise to compare insurance rates from multiple companies utilizes the fact most larger insurance companies will pay a fee to provide you with free rate quotes. To get started, all you need to do is spend a couple of minutes providing details such as an estimate of your credit level, the type of vehicles you drive, whether you drive to work or school, and level of coverage desired. That information is then submitted to multiple top-rated companies and you will receive price estimates instantly to find the best rate.
When it comes to choosing the best insurance coverage coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s needs are different.
For instance, these questions can aid in determining if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.
Having a good grasp of your policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.
Collision – This coverage covers damage to your Malibu resulting from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things like hitting a parking meter, driving through your garage door, backing into a parked car, hitting a mailbox and scraping a guard rail. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. You can also bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Medical expense coverage – Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for bills like X-ray expenses, nursing services, hospital visits, chiropractic care and prosthetic devices. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Uninsured or underinsured coverage – This coverage gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Normally these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Comprehensive protection – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as theft, hitting a deer, hitting a bird and a broken windshield. The maximum payout a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Liability auto insurance – This will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as loss of income, funeral expenses and bail bonds. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but consider buying as large an amount as possible.
We just showed you many ways to lower your 2002 Chevy Malibu insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
Drivers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, poor customer service, extreme rates for teen drivers and questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company can be pretty painless.